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US calls for referendum on Venezuela's Maduro to go forward

Washington's top diplomat has urged Caracas to release political prisoners and respect freedom of expression. Venezuela's socialist government has accused the US of waging an "economic war" against the country.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday called for the Venezuelan government to "honor its own constitutional mechanisms" by allowing a "fair and timely recall referendum."

Venezuelan opposition groups have led a nation-wide campaign to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of office, collecting over 1.8 million signatures to formally start the recall process.

Maduro vowed on Saturday to push the referendum back to next year if all legal requirements are met, a move which would allow his vice president to assume the presidency. However, a vote this year would automatically prompt new elections.

Kerry called for Caracas to "release political prisoners, respect freedom of expression and assembly, (and) alleviate shortages of food and medicine."

Washington is committed to working with other Organization of American States (OAS) members to address the "deeply troubling situation in Venezuela," Kerry said during his opening speech for the general assembly in the Dominican Republic.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Hyperinflation bites into economy

Hyperinflation has made doing business in Venezuela untenable for many domestic and foreign firms. With the currency dropping, the government has made it difficult to convert bolivars into US dollars.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Food shortages

Food shortages have become pervasive, spurred on by hyperinflation. Empty store shelves have become all too common across Venezuela.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Queuing up to buy food

Food shortages mean that people have to wait in line to buy essential food items at select locations. Here people line up outside a supermarket in the poor neighborhood of Lidice, in Caracas.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Gathering signatures

Opposition leaders launched a petition drive to collect signatures for a recall referendum. They needed 200,000 signatures, or 1 percent of the electorate, but they got 1.8 million voters to sign.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Green light for petition

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles shows journalists that the National Election Council has given permission for the referendum to go ahead. But President Nicolas Maduro's government is trying to delay the vote.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Pushing for referendum

Protesters have taken to the streets, demanding that the referendum go forward.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Students protest

Students have also taken to the streets to demonstrate. They are protesting both the overall economic stagnation and also the government's efforts to delay the referendum.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Severe drought

A devastating drought has exacerbated Venezuela's problems. What was once a vast reservoir, held back by a hydroelectric dam, is now little more than a series of mud puddles.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Drought wreaks havoc

The country depends on the Guri Dam - one of the world's largest - for a significant portion of its electricity. While the reservoir is turning to desert, citizens endure daily black outs, and government offices open just two days a week to save electricity.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Health care suffers

Oliver Sanchez, 8, holds a sign that reads "I want to heal, peace, health" during a protest against the shortage of medicines in Caracas. Oliver has Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but the medicine he needs is no longer available.

Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble

Maduro under fire

Venezuela's economic dip is largely the result of oil prices that have plunged more than 50 percent in the past two years. But a severe drought is crimping electricity supplies, and focusing people's ire on Maduro.

Author: Bruce Konviser

'Washington's payroll'?

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez shot back at Kerry's comments during the general assembly, saying: "Venezuela's internal matters will be settled by Venezuelans."

"I see now this is ordered by Washington. I know they are on Washington's payroll to meddle in the domestic affairs of Venezuela," Rodriguez said, in an apparent reference to opposition lawmakers.